Safety guard



CLOSURES, PARTITIONS 8c PANELS, FLEXIBLE 8c PORTABLE.

Aug. 25, 1.925.

F. W. SPRINGER SAFETY GUARD Filed Sept, 22,

ORNEY Tap.

160. CLOSURES, PARTITIONS 8c PANELS,

FLEXIBLE 8c PORTABLE.

Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES FRANKLIN W. SPRINGER, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SAFETY GUARD.

Application filed September 22, 1924. Serial No. 739,150.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN IV. SPRINGER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SafetyGuards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to safety devices for closures and has for itsobject to provide a guard adapted to be used with collapsible closures.

Another object of the invention resides in providing in conjunction witha closure having a plurality of movable uprights a flexible guard,attached to a number of said uprights and adapted to be stretched out inthe plane of the closure when the same is extended and the closureeffected to form an effective obstruction across the closure, and whichis adapted to be folded back when the closure is open and collapsed.

A still further object of the invention consists of attaching the guardto the closure in such a manner that the intermediate portions of thesame tend to naturally fold outwardly in even uniform folds, allextending in the same direction as the closure is being opened.

Other objects of the invention reside in the detailed construction ofthe same as clearly brought out in the following specification andclaims.

In the drawings illustrating my invention in one form:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a closure in extendedposition showing my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the closure with myinvention attached thereto in collapsed position.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Figure 3, taken online 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Figured, taken on line55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4: showing another method ofattaching the guard to the closure.

When a collapsible closure is used with elevator cars or cabs or othermovable structures considerable danger arises to the passengers andfreight from passing objects where the closure is so formed when closedthat the passengers limbs or body may be projected thru the same and beinjured by the passing objects, or the freight carried may project thruthe same and in like manner be injured. My invention provides a simpleand effective means for completely closing and guarding such portions ofthe closure as might readily permit of the pro j ection of thepassengers limbs or the freight therethru, thereby eliminating thehazards now common with such types of closures.

In the drawings I have shown a type of closure indicated at A which isfrequently used with passenger and freight elevator cabs. This deviceconsists of a. number of uprights or stanchions 10, each constructed oftwo channel iron members 11 and 12, arranged in spaced relations withtheir webs facing one another. Between these members are positionedcrossed bars 13 and 14 which are pivoted at their centers to saidmembers 11 and 12 at 15 to hold the same together and which are pivoted"to each other at their upper portions at 16 and their lower portions at17. In this manner a. lazy tong device is provided which supports theuprights 10 of the closure and which permits the closure to be extendedas shown in Figure 1 or collapsed as illustrated in Figure 2. In thedrawings I have only shown a portion of a gate or closure which issimilarly provided at its upper portion with a corresponding lazy tongarrangement. In the type of closure illustrated, intermediate uprights18 are employed which are pivoted to the cross links 13 and 14c of bothsets of lazy tongs at the pivots 16 and which are otherwise free sothat, the same move in conjunction with the ,other portions of theclosure A to assist in closing the space between the uprights 10 whenthe closure is extended. It will however be noted that these members donot extend to the bottom of flexible material 19 which is stretchedacross the uprights 10 and secured thereto in a manner to be presentlydescribed. This strip or band is placed where itis desired for thepurposes previously set forth. When the invention is used on an elevatorgate the band is placed at the bottom of the gate to prevent thepassengers from placing their feet outwardly beyond the elevator cabwhere they might be squeezed in between the landings and the elevatorfloor.

lVhere the uprights 10 are formed with outwardly facing flanges the band19 is attached to the same by means of clamp bars 20 which are of awidth sullicient to permit the said bars to be placed between theflanges 21 of members 11, together with the band 19. A number of bolts22 passing thru both the bars 20 and the members 11 hold the band 19properly attached to the closure A. It will be noted in Figure at thatportions 23 and 24 of the band lying adjacent the flanges 21 of members11 extend outwardly at right angles to the plane of the closure. Thisforms an important feature of the invention in that it causes the bandto naturally and positively fold in loops 25 as shown in Figure 5 whenthe closure A is collapsed.

here the closure uprights are formed of a solid bar or of channel ironmembers arranged with their webs extending outwardly as shown in Figure6, at 26 I attach the band 19 thereto by means of channel shaped clips27 which take the place of the members 11. These clips are of a lengthsubstantially equal to the width of the band 19 and are attached to saiduprights 26 by means of the bolts 22 which pass directly thru saiduprights 26, clips 27 and the bars 20.

Although I have shown my invention in the shape of a band, extendingacross a por tion of the closure, it can readily be understood that thesame may be of any width and placed wherever desired, or made to extendacross the entire closure. It can be readily seen that the band may berun close to the floor, ceiling and walls of the closure so that theObjects may be prevented from passing between the same. The device mayalso be used with closures which operate vertically as well ashorizontally. The band may be made of any suitable fabric, such ascanvas, webbing or the like, or it may be made of leather, rubber or anyother liex ible material. lVhere canvas or other fabric is used, thesame may first be shrunk to prevent stretching after it has been appliedand the same may further be waterproofed to render the same unaffectedby moisture.

My invention is exceedingly simple in construction and can be applied toexisting closures without difiiculty. By having the pertions of the bandwhere they are fastened to the closure sunk within the channel uprightsthe band is positively made to fold outwardly from the closure.

Having described my invention in one form and illustrated the same asapplied to a. particular use, I desire to have it understood that theinvention may be constructed of other materials and in different waysand put to uses other than those set forth within the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim 1. In combination with a closure having a plurality of spacedmembers movable towards one another, a flexible band extending acrosssaid members and secured at intervals thruout its length to said membersand adapted to fall in folds adjacent said members as the same are movedtowards one another, and means for causing all of said folds to fall inthe same direction, as said members are moved towards one another.

2. In combination with a closure having a plurality of spaced membersmovable to wards one another, a flexible band extending across saidmembers, and means for attaching said band to said members, said meanshaving a portion holding said band at its attachment to said members atan angle to the plane of said closure.

3. In combination with a closure having a plu *ality of spaced membersmovable towards one another, a flexible band extending across saidmembers and secured thereto, said band normally lying in the plane ofsaid closure, and means for causing a portion of said band at all timesto lie at right angles to the plane of said closure for causing saidband to fall outwardly in folds as the members are brought together.

In combination with a closure having a plurality of spaced membersmovable towards one another, a flexible band extending across saidmembers, said members being provided with grooves, and clamp barspositioned within said grooves for holding said band attached thereto.

5. In combination with a closure comprising a number of channel shapeduprights, a flexible band extending across said uprights having portionslodged between the flanges thereof, and clamp bars positioned betweenthe flanges of said members for holding said band in place.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

FRANKLIN IV. SPRINGER.

